Anna Piaggi, one of the world’s most famous fashion icons, has died age 81. Rescu. pays her tribute.
Fashion was struck a massive blow this week when legendary fashion writer and Vogue Italia contributor Anna Piaggi died at age 81.
Piaggi was one of the great eccentric dressers of the 20th century. With a fondness for millinery, colourful faux furs and vivid finger-waved blue hair, Piaggi was legendary among fashionistas as a true original.
So famous was her dress sense that in 2006, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London hosted a retrospective of her wardrobe.
And Piaggi was the ultimate collector: she had couture from every decade of the 20th century, from 1920s Vionnet to Karl Lagerfeld originals, and wore them all together.
Karl Lagerfeld was a close personal friend, as was Stephen Jones, who often custom-made her hats.
She dressed ‘for performance’ rather than in head-to-toe couture, and once told Women’s Wear Daily that she came to one of Lagerfeld’s parties as a Venetian fishwife, complete with dead pigeons who started to bleed and forced her to leave.
She was also famous for using the same bright-red Olivetti typewriter for her entire writing career.
The fashion world has given her high praise after her death. Franco Sozzani, powerful editor of Vogue Italia, tweeted that she would ‘always remember’ Anna, Dita Von Teese professed that she was devastated, and Dolce & Gabbana tweeted a picture of her from their personal collection of photographs.
Want to be inspired by Anna’s style? Think eccentric layers, huge hats, canes, opera glasses and gorgeous vintage shoes.
Rest in peace, Anna.
Image: Anna Piaggi.
She was famous in the 1990s for appearing at fashion shows with bindi on forehead and washboard abs exposed.
However, Gwen Stefani shows in the latest Harper’s Bazaar US that she has fully transformed into a fashionista – and one who’s unafraid of her feminine side.
The editors have dressed her in, of all things, pastel pinks – from Alexander McQueen to Dior Couture. And on the cover she wears a gigantic rose-pink hat inspired by My Fair Lady.
This Stefani is mightily different from the Stefani of No Doubt, but Gwen says she’s comfortable with the change.
Stefani was introduced to the fashion business when she started her own fashion label, L.A.M.B., in the 2000s. It had a sophisticated punk aesthetic, and has since entered the realms of perfume and handbags.
However, she’s now dipping her toes into couture. She is yet to be the face of a clothing company, but we suspect that after glimpsing her poses in the ultra-couture pieces, Dior or Chanel might come calling.
She also shared a horror story about her first piece of designer clothing. Apparently it was a Prada dress – given to her by her husband, Gavin Rossdale – but her assistant, a roadie on a No Doubt Tour, washed it, “and it came back this big, she says, indicating Barbie-doll size with her fingers”.
We’re glad she moved past it and became a budding queen of high fashion.
Image: Gwen Stefani in Harpers Bazaar.
Rescu. has found our new fashion love, and she’s tiny and furry with big blue eyes.
Karl Lagerfeld’s cat, Choupette, has caught the hearts of the fashion world.
Lagerfeld is notoriously private and acid-tongued – he mentioned last week that he thought Pippa Middleton “should only be seen from the back” – but his soft side is exposed with his frequent tweetings of Choupette.
He also devotes entire interviews to discussing her care, her personality and whether she will front any campaigns.
The answer to that, apparently, is ‘no’ – as ‘Choupette is not commercial’.
However, she is spoilt enough to have two maids just for her own use, is taken to the vet every 10 days, and now has posed for an iD magazine shoot just on her own.
She is enough of an inspiration to have been the muse for an entire Chanel collection, based on her powder-puff white fur.
Lagerfeld, however, seems more taken with the idea that she can use his iPad – and that she is quietly wrecking his apartment.
We give it a matter of time before Choupette travels with him to couture shows – and shows up on the runway.
Image: Choupette with Lagerfeld in iD magazine.
It’s time for a new injection of simplicity into your jewellery cabinet.
Here’s one of RESCU’s private faves – and we’re letting you in on the secret.
Young Frankk is a jewellery line made in Richmond, Virginia by Christine Young, and it’s rapidly gaining traction in the indie fashion world, so get onto the bandwagon before it blows up.
You can say you knew them before they became headliners.
The aesthetic? Minimalist Mayan. Hammered layers of brass and gold trace out almost architectural shapes – squares, rhombuses, triangles – on bracelets, rings and necklaces.
It’s abstract without overtaking the outfit, statement without being obnoxious, and sophisticated enough to wear to work. Rescu. says yes.
The pieces are limited – but our particular favourites are the Spine necklace and her cuffs, which look Aztec-cool.
You can find Young Frankk on etsy, and the brand also has a Facebook and Tumblr if you’re interested in seeing the inspirations behind the brand.
Rescu. loves finding independent young artists just making their start – and we predict Young Frankk is going to be very big indeed.
Image: Young Frankk cuff.
